Credit: WBAL's Robert Lang
Officer Goodson and attorney Sean Malone are surrounded by sheriff's deputies as they head to court on Friday.

Credit: WBAL's Robert Lang
Officer Edward Nero arrives at Courthouse East this morning.

5:00 p.m.

The second degree murder trial of Baltimore City Police van driver Officer Caesar Goodson is now in the hands of a judge.

After hearing closing arguments this morning, Judge Barry Williams said he will hand down his verdict on Thursday morning.

The judge is considering the seven charges against Goodson, with the most serious being seocnd degree murder depraved heart.

Last week, in denying a motion to dismiss the charges, Judge Williams said it was "a close call," to determine if that charge should stand.

Goodson is also charged with involuntary manslaughter, second degree assault, manslaughter by auto or boat, criminally negligent manslaughter by vehicle, misconduct in office, and reckless endangerment.

Prosecutor Janice Bledsoe in her closing argument, and Michael Schatzow in his rebuttal, said that Officer Caesar Goodson failed to perform his duty to get Freddie Gray medical attention four times during the ride in his van, and he failed to perform his duty to put him a seat belt five times.

They added that Goodson failed to do what a reasonable officer would have done.

University of Baltimore School of Law Professor David Jaros said the closing arguments could have been misleading on both sides.

Jaros, who has been in the courtroom every day said that even if Goodson's actions are considered "unreasonable," it doesn't mean that he committed a crime. Jaros said prosecutors have to prove Goodson was the aware of the risks to Gray his lack of action causes.

He also says if Goodson is acquitted, that doesn't mean Goodson's behavior is "not egregious."

The judge kept questioning prosecutors on their claim that Freddie Gray was a victim of a "rough ride."

In fact, Bledsoe never mentioned "rough ride" in her initial closing argument.

Only after defense attorney Matthew Fraling said in his statement that Goodson did not take Gray on a "rough ride," did prosecutors address the issue.

Under questioning from on but prosecutor Michael Schatzow insists it took place.

In his closing argument defense attorney Matthew Fraling told the judge that Freddie Gray moved off the van floor, as he was being driven by Goodson, and that may have contributed to his injuries and death.

University of Maryland School of Law Professor Doug Colbert says the defense," may have gone too far."

Colbert told WBAL NewsRadio 1090 that a jury would have found that statement offensive, but it remains to be seen if Judge Williams will find it offensive.

Fraling also compared the prosecution’s case to a game of, "three card monte," shuffling the basis for a crime between a rough ride, and failing to seat belt and failing to get medical attention.

Outside of the courthouse today, there was a larger presence of protesters.

There were as many as 10 protesters outside the courthouse after the proceedings ended, and they handed out flyers calling for a larger protest at the courthouse, and through the city once the verdict is handed down Thursday.

Carl Dix of the Stop Mass Incarceration Network and the Revolutionary Communist Party was part of a small group that demonstrated outside of the courthouse

Dix says prosecutors are partially at fault for the way the Freddie Gray related cases have ended.

"These prosecutors do very well when it's a black defendant, but when the defendant is a police officer charged with doing something to a black person, then it seems like they forget some of the skills they are very good at," Dix told WBAL NewsRadio 1090.

Dix is part of a group of people organizing Thursday's demonstration. The organizers include relatives of Tyrone West, who died while being subdued by police in 2013.

Former State's Attorney Greg Bernstein declined to prosecute any of the officers involved in the incident, and earlier this year, current State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby refused to reopen the case.

Last month, Officer Edward Nero was acquitted in a bench trial, and in December Officer William Porter's trail ended with a hung jury. He faces a retrial in September. Two other officers go on trial next month, while a third goes on trial in October.

WBAL NewsRadio 1090 has also learned that on Friday, Judge Barry Williams denied a defense motion that would have put part of prosecutor's closing argument at Nero's trial to be admitted into evidence.

In that statement, prosecutor Michael Schatzow told the judge that other officers were responsible for Freddie Gray’s safety when he was taken out of the van. That appeared to contradict the prosecution's argument in this case that Goodson, and no other officer, had custody of Gray, and was therefore responsible for his injuries and death.

Judge Williams said that statement was just part of a discussion between him and Schatzow and should not be admitted into evidence.

12:31 p.m.

Proceedings have concluded. Judge Barry Williams said he will deliver his verdict Thursday at 10 a.m.

In closing arguments, the two sides disagreed on what happened at the police van's fourth stop. That's when Officer William Porter told Goodson that Gray would not be able to pass a medical check at Central Booking, that Gray should be taken to a hospital, and Goodson agreed, according to testimony by Porter.

In a 40-minute rebuttal frequently interrupted by questions from Williams, prosecutor Michael Schatzow said Gray's death was "not a result of a card game; it's homicide caused by inaction of an officer."

Williams asked if, based on Goodson's apparent lack of training, if failing to take Gray to the hospital rises to the level of criminal negligence. Yes, Schatzow said.

"What if Gray said he needed to go to hospital and there was nothing wrong with him, did Goodson still have duty to take him?" Williams asked.

Schatzow said that he did have that duty.

11:41 a.m.

Prosecutor Janice Bledsoe said Officer Caesar Goodson "breached" his duty, while defense attorneys accused the prosecution of shifting their theories on what led to Freddie Gray's death.

Defense attorney Matt Fraling said Gray put himself in a position where he would be prone to injury. Judge Barry Williams questioned Fraling on Gray's supposed combativeness.

Bledsoe said Goodson missed four opportunities to get Gray medical attention, and five opportunities to ensure he was properly restrained in the van. Williams questioned Bledsoe on Gray's injuries.

The state will get a rebuttal to the defense's closing argument.

9:45 a.m.

Among those arriving at Courthouse East for closing arguments in the second degree murder trial of Officer Caesar Goodson, is another accused police officer, Edward Nero.

Nero arrived at Courthouse East at around 9:30 this morning.

Nero was acquitted of all charges at his own trial last month.

He testified for the defense before they rested on Friday.

It is not clear why Nero is in court today, since the defense rested.

On Friday, Nero was on the stand for only 15 minutes.

Nero at his own trial testified that he helped load Freddie Gray back into the van at its second stop, after police officers put leg shackles and flex cuffs on Gray.

That stop was at Mount and Baker Streets, and police moved the van to this stop, to get away from a growing crowd that was forming at the site of Gray's arrest in the 1700-block of Pressbury Street.

At the second stop, Nero described Gray as" uncooperative" and " passive aggressive."

Nero also told defense attorney Matt Fraling that once the van door was closed he could not see Gray kicking, but he did see the van shaking and heard banging.

Officer Goodson arrived at the courthouse at around 9:40 a.m.

Court resumes at 10 a.m.

12:01 a.m.

Closing arguments are expected this morning at the second degree murder trial of Baltimore City Police van driver Officer Caesar Goodson.

Goodson is charged with the death in April of last year for Freddie Gray.

Judge Barry Williams hasn’t given lawyers any time limits for their closing arguments, but since this is a bench trial, like Officer Edward Nero’s trial last month, expect Judge Williams to interrupt lawyers with questions on their arguments.

The questions might offer a clue as to how the judge might rule on this case.

In the Nero trial, Williams spent more time questioning prosecutors and later found Nero not guilty on all for charges.

Last week, when he dismissed a defense motion to dismiss the charges, the judge said it was a close call on the most serious charge, second degree murder, depraved heart.

Goodson also faces six other charges.

The judge will also rule on a defense motion to admit part of prosecutor Michael Schatzow’s closing argument in Nero’s trial to be admitted as evidence in Goodson's trial.

In that statement, Schatzow told the judge that other officers were responsible for Freddie Gray’s safety when he was taken out of the van. That appears to contradict the prosecution's argument in this case that Goodson, and no other officer, had custody of Gray, and was therefore responsible for his injuries and death.